Biography for Michael Langford
Mr. Michael Langford, President of the United Youth Adult Conference II
The United Youth-Adult Conference (UYAC) was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1972, by Arthur Langford, Jr. and a group of college students from the Atlanta University Center. The focus of UYAC during this period was to improve the quality of life for youth and young adults by providing positive motivational opportunities to participate in main stream society. UYAC targeted 75% of its activities in public housing and low-income areas while 25% of its efforts were devoted to college campuses focusing on leadership development. Over the years UYAC has successfully implemented many worthwhile projects including, voter registration projects, job training and placement, mentoring and crime prevention programs.
Organized Search Efforts for Atlanta's Missing and Murdered Children The United Youth-Adult conference attracted national media attention in the early 1980's when it organized weekly Saturday Searches of wooded areas for children whose names had appeared on a list of more than two dozen black youth missing from inner city Atlanta neighborhoods. These search efforts by UYAC produced thousands of volunteers and united our city and its residents at a period that had great potential for divesiveness. In addition to locating a murdered child on its very first search effort, UYAC also helped police find information about crimes and developed "Community Self-Help" programs directed at stopping the violence and drug trade in poor neighborhoods.
UYAC Community Search Program The purpose of the Community Search program is to organize Volunteer Searches for Missing persons in the Metropolitan Atlanta Area. The program is closely coordinated with local law enforcement agencies and provide volunteer manpower to search and canvass for clues and other information which may be helpful in police investigations. The requests for the searches are generally made by the families of the missing persons. UYAC and its volunteers conducted approximately 25-30 searches annually over the past 20 years.
UYAC Voter Registration Education Campaign The United Youth-Adult Conference II targets voter registration campaigns in Fulton County Georgia on a regular basis. UYAC through its volunteer efforts registered over 3,000 voters each year. We attempt to educate the African American youth about the political climate that existed prior to passage of the Voting Rights Act.
Summer Beach Bum Trip Every summer 50-75 kids between the ages of 10-16 years of age participate in our annual Beach Bum Trip. We identify kids who have never seen the Ocean, nor the powerful roar of its waters. These kids are taken on a weekend trip to Savannah Beach, logged in local hotels and treated to all you can eat cook-outs on the Historical College Campus of Savannah State. While 75% of the time is devoted to good clean fun, 25% of the trip is devoted to self-esteem and character building exercises.
The Life of a King "The Life of a King" is a live stage production based on the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The play covers events in Dr. Kings Life from the Montgomery bus boycott, to his tragic assassination in Memphis Tennessee. The "Life of a King" was written by UYAC's founding president Arthur Langford, Jr. in 1968 as a tribute to Dr. King and the many unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement.
This production is presented free to the public annually by UYAC as a tool to remind young people of the great significance of peace and non-violence and how it can be applied to our daily challenges.